


I'm Just A CSI

by Mkayswritings



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst, Barry Allen Works For The SCPD, Bisexual Barry Allen, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Slow Burn, Starling City (Arrow TV 2012)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2020-11-26 15:30:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20932520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mkayswritings/pseuds/Mkayswritings
Summary: Barry decides to move to Starling City after the lightning strike after struggling with trying to get his adopted family to believe him about his dad. Plus the pain of seeing Iris with Eddie since people did move on. Will he join Team Arrow or live his life as a normal CSI?





	1. A New Start

It had been Barry’s decision to move to Starling City after everything that had happened after he woke up from being in a coma for nine months. All because the Science and Technology Advanced Research Laboratories' particle accelerator exploded causing Barry to get struck by lightning filled with dark matter. It was the reason why he became a speedster which opened up a new world to Barry, one that he didn’t think would actually exist. This was his life now as getting rid of the super speed most likely wasn’t an option, he needed to learn how to control it to avoid hurting anyone or himself. S.T.A.R Labs gave him that chance as they helped him while they had taken care of him while he was laying in that coma since the hospital was unable to give him the care that was needed. 

Barry had tried to get used to that normal life he had before for the coma, but it wasn’t easy. Things were different for him as people had moved on while he slept, there were a lot of changes and he was struggling to deal with them on a daily basis. He thought that things would have been the same, but obviously Barry was wrong. He didn’t know what to do as trying to become a normal family with Joe and Iris, but there were struggles. Too many that Barry was able to handle alone especially when trying to tell that his father was innocent again. He knew that he was because of the super speed that he had now, but Joe still didn’t believe him. 

Things were tense as the crime scene investigator was struggling and it didn’t seem that anyone was noticing despite them trying to be a family again. The worst part was with Iris once he found out that she was dating Eddie who happened to be Joe’s partner, but Barry promised that he wasn’t going to tell. That was something that Iris needed to do, her own secret to tell while he had a feeling that Joe probably wasn’t going to be happy about it once he discovered that they were dating. A situation that he doesn’t want anything to deal with especially with the feelings that he does have for Iris. Feelings that he would have to keep hidden since it’s obvious on how Iris feels about Eddie, he can tell just by looking at them. 

A fresh start was what he needed though, someplace new to help him adjust into the normal that he was looking for. He obviously wasn’t going to find that here in Central City as Starling City seemed the best place for Barry to go besides he wouldn’t be alone since he knows the group that fights crime underneath the darkness of night. A secret that he was willing to keep hidden for the sake of Oliver and his team, it’s the only way that they can continue to work and deal with the crime that fills the streets of the large city. Maybe Starling City could benefit from a CSI like him as many cases have been solved because of him depending on what the crime was. There have only been a few that has taken more than a couple of weeks to be solved depending on how careful the criminal was with leaving any trace of clues to them behind. 

This was how the search for a new apartment among Starling City started and sending word to the Starling City Police Department about becoming their new CSI if they were searching for one. He just hoped that this would be the fresh start that Barry needed and to get him out of Central for an unknown amount of time. 

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Barry hadn’t brought it up to Joe and Iris yet while he was still waiting to hear back from the SCPD as the search for an apartment wasn’t going to well. He continued to look though while getting the cases that he was working on finished before the next CSI would take over the position that Barry was leaving open. Captain Singh knew that Barry was leaving as the man already had his notice while it was up to the CSI to tell Iris and Joe what he was doing. A conversation that he really wasn’t looking forward to knowing how they were going to react, he knew that they weren’t going to take it well. But, Barry needed to get away from this place and find someplace new where he could get that fresh start he desperately needed. 

He just needed to come up with the perfect time to tell the news that he was leaving Central City, probably after receiving word from the SCPD that he had gotten the job. That way he wouldn’t have to worry about Joe and Iris being too concerned about him moving there without a job. Eyes flickered toward his computer screen waiting for the test results to come back as a small breath escaped from him, he was ready for this. He was ready for the new life that Barry would be making among the streets of Starling City. 

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

The next few days were busy for Barry as he focused on trying to wrap up the cases that had been sitting on his desk plus the few new ones that appeared. He was going to finish as much as he could before leaving to Starling City. The email that he was waiting for soon arrived showing interest in the experience that Barry had as a CSI, they wanted him to come to the SCPD for an interview which was a relief on his part. Now, the speedster just needed to land the job and move to Starling City if everything works out in his favor. He hopes that it does as there’s only so much patience left that Barry has staying in Central still. 

The next thing on his list was to tell Iris and Joe though, he had to decide when though as waiting probably was going to make it worse. He needed to get this off his chest before the only thing that Barry would leave for them was a letter explaining everything about why he left. 

Joe couldn’t help, but notice that there had been a change in Barry after he had woken up from his coma a few days ago. The kid had brought up the topic of his father being innocent once more, but Joe shot it down quickly, unable to believe that he actually was. Joe couldn’t bring himself to believe what Barry and Henry had said about what happened that night, it didn’t make sense at all. Besides the evidence was pretty clear for the most part. 

Barry seemed distant as he usually was pretty open about everything, but Joe knew that getting him to talk would be difficult. He could be pretty stubborn when he wanted to be and this seemed to be one of those times. It wasn’t until after dinner when Barry suddenly brought up needing a new start somewhere that wasn’t Central City which was a big shock to Iris and Joe. He just couldn’t handle being here with everything that had changed while he was in that nine month coma and that the people who took care of him as he grew up didn’t believe him about his father. Barry just wanted to get away. 

“I’ve already got things set up with the SCPD and Captain Singh got my notice. I just need a new start and I’m not going to get it here...”

There was silence as Barry waited for what Joe or Iris was going to say, the silence was awkward though while he wasn’t going to change his mind. Barry needed to do this for his sake, he felt out of place here. Iris was the first to speak though 

“Barry.... Are you sure this is what you want? You literally just woke up from a coma and we’re family.” 

His gaze drifted off toward the side as the word family did sting a bit, they hadn’t felt like a family to him since he had woken up from that coma. He wouldn’t find it surprising if this was something that they wouldn’t accept, but this was Barry’s choice. He was going to go either way even if they wanted him to stay. He could tell that there was hesitation on their part, but Joe apparently was willing to let him go while it was obvious that they wanted him to stay. 

“I’m sure, I need to do this for my sake, Iris.” 

Barry still needed to find a place to stay as he was going to look at a few apartments after the interview at the SCPD. One that he was looking forward to while it was obvious from the email that the police department needed help with the cases that they had piling up on them as it seemed that their last CSI quit. He knew that he could handle the craziness of a pile of files that would be waiting for him if he got the job. 

The trip to Starling would be worth it though because of the new adventure that would be waiting for him once he arrived in the busy city.


	2. Starling City

Barry had arrived in Starling after being on the road for a few hours being that it was six hundred miles from Central, but he felt at peace already. It was a big change from Central already, he just needed to find a nice place that he could call home while there was a list sitting among his things of places to look at. He just needed to get this interview over first to see if the job was his before going apartment searching around the large city that was now beneath his feet. There were a few places that Barry had saved for him to go look at once this interview was over with, he hoped that it would go well despite how interested they were with him coming to work at the station. He made his way toward the police department heading inside while trying to ignore the nervous feeling that loomed over his head, a feeling of nerves was the last thing that he really wanted to deal with at the moment. Letting out a small breath, Barry approached the front desk with his grip tightening around the bag that rested on his shoulder just a bit 

“Excuse me, I’m here for an interview with Captain Lance for Bartholomew Allen.” 

“Just one moment, Mr. Allen.” A smile was given from the Receptionist was given before they picked up the phone as he waited to hear word on what to do next 

“Hello Captain Lance, I have a Bartholomew Allen here for an interview.” 

Words were exchanged from the two before the phone was placed back down on the hook as a visitor's pass was placed into his hands 

“There you go, Mr. Allen. Walk through those doors and past all the officers’ desks, Captain Lance’s room is right in the back.” 

Barry nodded and thanked them before following the directions to where the interview was going to take place. One that he hoped was going to go well as long as his nerves decided not to blow up in his face which has happened before in the past, he’d rather not make a fool of himself in front of the Captain. That might be something he will never live down if he gets the job here as their new Crime Scene Investigator. 

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

The interview took about an hour as Barry asked all the questions that were given to him by Captain Lance who looked over the paperwork that held his resume and everything that he was able to give information wise. The questions were fairly easy, but he couldn’t help with the nerves that continued to linger during that time. Thankfully, the interview went fairly quickly as the relief was there once the interview was finally over. Captain Lance was going to give him a call after he got through the few more interviews that needed his attention before a decision would be made. Barry didn’t mind though since he was planning on going apartment hunting with a realtor that he had gotten in touch earlier, to find a place that he could call home. The small stack of papers that were sitting inside his bag were the ones that he was going to take a look at. One of them would be a good fit for him, he just needed to figure out what that one was. So far Starling City seemed liked it was the place for Barry to be especially after everything that happened back at Central City between him, Iris, and Joe. Shaking his head slightly, he moved to leave the department before getting ahold of the realtor to find a place for them to meet so apartment hunting could start while waiting for the phone call from Captain Lance. 

Barry was soon staring at three apartments that he had picked debating about which one would be a good fit for him, these were the ones that he had liked the most and obviously had everything that he needed. Plus the distance to the police department wasn’t bad which would make a lot of things easier when traveling back and forth between there and home. Eyes wandered over the pages while looking at the photos that he had taken to compare the three to each other before he was able to come to a decision even though it took him a few days to figure that it. He knew that the realtor would be happy to hear his call with the hope that he was going to hear from Captain Lance soon about the job as their C.S.I. 

He was looking forward to moving into his new apartment and make it his own with everything that was waiting to be unpacked. It probably was going to take a few days for Barry to move in, not that he minded since he wasn’t rushing to get everything done as quickly as possible. The apartment was perfect though while he was able to snag it quickly since no one else was interested in the place. Things seemed to be finally turning around for him at least, he felt like it was anyways. This was the start that Barry needed and one that he was grateful to have even if other people thought otherwise since he knew how his adoptive family back in Central felt about the matter. They didn’t think that it was a good idea, but he needed to do this as leaving Central City was the only way that he could do that. Boxes were spread out across the floor of the living room as Barry was focused on pulling things out of the box one at a time while trying to figure out where he wanted them to go. Thankfully, he had labeled them before moving or it would of been a complete mess with trying to figure out what was what. Barry probably would of been sitting in the middle of his floor stressing over his poor organization skills since the brunette would be pulling his hair out if he had done it that way. 

A small breath escaped him before his thoughts were broken by the familiar tune of his cell phone going off, Barry moved to pick it up seeing the number that was scrawled across the screen. He hoped that this was the call that he had been waiting for since it had been a few days from the day of the interview 

“Hello?” 

The voice of Captain Lance came over the phone as his hand did clutch his phone a bit tightly because of the nervous feeling that appeared once more 

“Hello Mr. Allen, I would of called sooner, but the last few days have been a bit insane. Anyways, when will you be able to start?” 

“Ah, anytime sir. I can start tomorrow if that works.” 

Barry couldn’t help, but smile knowing that the job was his while it was true that he could start at anytime. He wanted to start the job as quickly as possible though since it would help him get into the swing of things and adjust to life better at Starling City with all the craziness that was going to come with it. He had an idea on how crazy it could be already from the moment that he learned Oliver was the one crawling around the streets with a bow on his back. A secret that he was more than willing to keep secret knowing how important it was for him to keep it a secret, he wasn’t going to let it slip that he knew of the secret identity. The job was his though as Captain Lance wanted him to arrive at 8:30 while there most likely would be a stack of case files waiting for him once he got there. Not that he would mind, it would be a good way to start the job despite the long hours that Barry would be dealing. Long hours that he was used to though because of how many times he had sat inside of the lab at Central City waiting for those tests to be finished, tests that could take forever depending on what he was dealing with. 

The phone call came to an end though leaving Barry to deal with the mess of boxes that surrounded him still, he finally was taking a step in the right direction since he arrived here. Now only if it was going to stay this way plus the thought that lingered in the back of his head knowing that he’d probably get a call from Iris or Joe soon. Time would only tell on how things were going to be dealt with his adoptive family though, he didn’t know if he could work things out with them because of that tension that lingered after he left. It wasn’t going to be easy while there were a lot of mixed feelings and how no one seemed to believe him about the truth that he was able to learn. Barry knew that his father hadn’t killed his mother, it wasn’t just a crazy delusion caused by grief since he had told the truth that day. But it seemed that the truth was unbelievable and someone had to be blamed for taking his mother away, he was determined to prove that his father was innocent. Barry just didn’t know where to get the proof from though, he would figure out eventually even if it was going to take a bit of time to get the answers that he wanted. 

Flopping down on the couch, he leaned his head back with a relieved sigh wondering on what tomorrow as going to bring. But it was something that he was looking forward to even if it was going to be a crazy filled day and new coworkers for him to get used to. Now he just needed work on getting his apartment together and looking like a comfortable home that anyone can live in easily. 

The one thing that he didn’t know was though about how quickly he would be reunited with Oliver and the rest of his friends who were fighting to keep the streets of Starling City safe.


	3. Reunion Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Olivarry fans, I hope you enjoy reading this third chapter for this fic! Crossing fingers that the next one will be longer if I can get to the length that I would like it to be. Anyways looking forward to reading your comments! 
> 
> You can find me on tumblr, twitter, and instagram under mkayswritings.
> 
> Terms:   
SCPD - Starling City Police Department   
CCPD - Central City Police Department

It was a simple day for Oliver so far even though he would be patrolling the streets of Starling City later on tonight. There was much to do to deal with the threats that filled this city each night while he was the only one taking care of those issues besides the work that the police did, but Oliver did things differently. He wasn’t alone with the small team that was helping him in that bunker that was hidden from the world since he had to keep this away from his family and people that were in his life. They couldn’t know who he was as Oliver was determined to keep this part of his life away from them mostly from his family, he didn’t want to drag them into this. They had been through enough already from the moment that the Gambit went down and the suffering that came with it, nothing just pain and loss followed it. 

That pain and loss with everything that followed during those five years was something that Oliver thought he had to pay for, there were too many mistakes that he had made in his life. Mistakes that he needed to fix and deal with on a daily basis since many things did linger over his head from his partying days to what he was dealing with now. At least, he was doing something that could be seen as good depending on how someone looked at it even though there might be people who would disagree with him. Captain Lance being one of those people. 

Oliver was waiting for intel from Felicity so the job that they were working on, he knew that she would be able to find it quickly though. It was just a waiting game besides he wasn’t going to return to the hideout until night fell since it was easier to work in the dark. No one would be able to spot his face easily nor would he have to worry about being spotted by anyone who was in the area, it was easier to hide that way. 

The last person that he expected to run into today was Barry though who was sitting inside of Jitters with a computer and a cup of coffee. Last time he had heard about Barry was from Felicity when she was getting updates from his family back in Central City on how he was doing. Plus the time she went to go visit him after he became comatose from being struck by lightning, but he obviously woke up. Oliver had no idea if Felicity knew while she most likely would have said something about Barry being awake. 

A small sigh escaped him deciding to at least go talk to him while it was obvious that he was clearly focused on the task that was in front of him. He’d be able to tell Felicity that Barry was awake and in Starling City for some reason, the last time he had been here was when he saved his life from the unknown toxin that was injected into him. The one thing that he was thankful for and of course that Barry was keeping his identity a secret since the danger that was there if anyone found out. That’s why it was so important for no one to know who was underneath that hood he wore. 

“Barry.” 

There was a slight jump before he did glance up seeing that Oliver was standing in front of him, letting out a small breath not expecting his name to suddenly be called out

“Hi Oliver.” 

Snagging the chair across from him, Oliver made himself comfortable as Barry closed the laptop deciding to work on the task later. It could wait figuring that the other was going to talk especially since nine months had passed from when he was laying in a coma. He wouldn’t be surprised if the other had questions 

“You’re finally awake, does Felicity know? Does she know you’re even here?” 

Barry shook his head as he hadn’t contacted anyone since he had been focused on getting settled in and of course, working at the police department. He hadn’t even thought about contacting Felicity or anyone else, he was still trying to sort everything out while dealing with the messages that Iris and Joe continued to send. He didn’t want to go back to Central though especially after everything that happened, he liked Starling though and was getting that fresh start he desperately needed. 

“No, I haven’t told anyone. I was busy settling into my new apartment and getting adjusted to working at the SCPD. I didn’t think to reach out to you guys.” 

That was something that Oliver could understand while it was surprising to hear that Barry had moved here since he had a family back in Central City. Unless there was a reason for why he was there, that was just a guess on his part and one he wasn’t going to pry into. It would be up to Barry if he wanted to tell about whatever he was dealing with as Oliver knew how family drama could be, it was never easy when it came to family though. A lesson that Oliver learned the hard way while growing up and after returning back home while those five years was something he wouldn’t let his family know about. He didn’t want them know what he had done. Those five years were his secret and a secret that he was going to keep hidden for as long as possible while there were a few things that his team knew, but not everything. It was for their safety. 

“You should, I think Felicity has been wondering about you. You might as well stop by sometime, you know where to find us.” 

Barry nodded with a small smile knowing that it wouldn’t hurt to reach out to the rest of Oliver’s team, they were the only people he knew here, the only people that he could consider as friends. It would help meeting with them again and give him someone to talk to since that lonely feeling had been lingering the last few days. There would be plenty of time for him to visit tonight though since he didn’t have to go to work tomorrow being that it was his day off. 

“I can come by tonight, it can be a surprise for everyone.” 

With numbers exchanged, the two did part ways as they both had a few things that they needed to get done before Barry was going to come by later on in the evening. Mostly errands and to bring the finishing touches to the apartment that he now called home, he was looking forward to seeing the others though. He just hoped that he would be able to keep his speed a secret, he wasn’t ready to tell anyone yet that the strike of lightning made him the fastest man alive. 

**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Barry arrived at the Verdant sending a message to Oliver that he was here, he waited patiently for a few minutes before the man did appear. He had been in the hideout once before, but the code was unknown to him while he followed him down the metal stairs. Their footsteps echoed against the metal stairs as Barry could hear the familiar voices talking, voices that he heard the last time he was here saving Oliver’s life. He knew that this was going to be a big surprise for them while he couldn’t help, but feel a bit nervous despite meeting them once. Of course, the wonder was going to be there on how everyone would react since they didn’t know that he was awake especially Felicity. 

He followed Oliver down the stairs though who spoke getting the attention of the rest of the team 

“You’ll guys never guess who I found.” 

Barry popped up behind him giving a sheepish smile as silence lingered in the air while Oliver had moved further into the hideout while he was just waiting for someone to break the silence. That someone ended up being him though 

“Hi everyone.” 

It was Felicity who got up first giving Barry a big hug and a punch to the shoulder despite that she was relieved to see him up and awake. He couldn’t blame her though knowing that it was his fault he didn’t tell her that he was awake, he gladly took the small lecture listening to everything that the blonde woman said. 

“Yes Felicity, I’m okay. No side effects from being struck by lightning. I swear, I’m fine.” 

It took a few minutes for him to reassure her and probably everyone else in the room that he was okay minus him being a speedster, but that is a story for another day. He wasn’t ready to tell them what the lightning had actually done to him besides leaving him in a coma for nine months and the family drama when he woke up. Barry just didn’t feel that Central City was a place he could call home and he felt so out of place with Joe and Iris, it was obvious that they had moved on with their lives while he was laying in a hospital bed. 

There was a lot that Barry had to catch up here though figuring that a lot probably did happen during those nine months, but there would be plenty of time for that. He’d probably be able to help if they needed his assistance with anything, help that he would be more than willing to offer. He wasn’t a hero, but science and his skills as a Crime Scene Investigator could be helpful to the team if they were going to ask though. Barry wasn’t going to push on that matter figuring that one of them would come to him with anything that they needed. From figuring out anything science related to whatever clues they were stuck on, clues that they obviously couldn’t figure out unless they had someone that worked on the inside of the police department. That would be where Barry came in, only if they wanted his help though. 

Finding a random place to sit at, he did start to visit with the others getting caught up on their lives and everything that was happening inside of Starling City. It wasn’t a surprise about the mess that was filling the streets each day while the work that was always waiting for him back at his desk was proof of that. He didn’t know which was worse, Central or Starling City as he always seemed to be busy when he was working as the CSI for the CCPD. But Starling probably wasn’t going to compare to the crime that happened in Central City since he knew how busy Oliver could be with what he was trying to do as the vigilante. At least, someone was here to keep Starling City safe besides that the police force was trying to do while Oliver was doing things differently because of the criminals that he was going after. 

Barry didn’t know if he would be able to come out with the truth about what that bolt of lightning actually did to him, he couldn’t help, but hesitate at the thought of it. Hopefully over time and when he was ready, the truth would come out. He just needed to keep it a secret which most likely wouldn’t be too hard since he hadn’t been using his speed anyways even though it might be a way to help people. He’d probably be horrible at helping people in a superhero way anyways, he wasn’t like Oliver and the others who did what they could to keep Starling City safe from the threats that filled them. Even though, he really didn’t agree with their methods most of the time, but it probably wasn’t his place to voice on what the thought. Oliver did things his own way, he knew that. 

He was just another normal person who happened to get struck by lightning and gained speed, just another normal person that worked as a CSI. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Olivarry fans! I hope you enjoy the first chapter to this fanfic! I'm looking forward to writing it and seeing what you all think of it! Hopefully, I do them justice since I am still new at writing for this ship. 
> 
> You can find me on tumblr, twitter, and instagram under mkayswritings. 
> 
> S.T.A.R Labs - Science and Technology Advanced Research Laboratories  
CSI - Crime Scene Investigator


End file.
